anniversarieshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/4784/all
enMorning Report: New Developer Betas, Apple in Seattle, RealPlayer Anniversaryhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/morning_report_new_developer_betas_apple_seattle_realplayer_anniversary
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/realplayer_cloud_1st_anniversary_620px.png" alt="RealPlayer Cloud first anniversary" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Our Tuesday Morning Report has a great deal for iPhone and iPad users looking for somewhere to store large quantities of videos in the cloud, thanks to a first anniversary celebration from RealPlayer Cloud. Developers also received first patch betas for OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.1 yesterday, and we've also got details on a new Apple engineering office in Seattle, of all places. Read on for the details!</p><h3>Developers Receive First OS X Yosemite, iOS 8.1 Beta Patches</h3><p>As many early adopters of technology will freely admit, the first release of any software is bound to be chock full of lurking bugs, which only subsequent updates seem to be able to properly squash. OS X Yosemite users have some relief in sight, as <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2014/11/03/first-yosemite-10-10-1-beta-now-available/" target="_blank">MacRumors reported Monday</a> that Apple has seeded the first beta of OS X 10.10.1 to developers roughly three weeks after the operating system went live to the public.<br /><br />Apple has apparently asked developers to focus their attention on Wi-Fi, Notification Center, and Exchange accounts in the Mail application. Wi-Fi in particular is an area of interest to many OS X Yosemite users, who have complained on support forums about sporadic disconnections on a variety of different Mac hardware.<br /><br />In a separate report, <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2014/11/03/apple-releases-ios-8-1-1-beta/" target="_blank">MacRumors also noted</a> Apple has pushed out an initial developer beta for iOS 8.1.1, which arrives two weeks after iOS 8.1. The release notes specifically mention "bug fixes and increased stability and performance improvements for both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4s"; a new developer beta for Apple TV was also released on Monday night as well.</p><h3>Apple Comes to Seattle Courtesy of Union Bay Acquisition</h3><p><a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/apple-opening-engineering-office-seattle/" target="_blank">GeekWire reported Monday</a> that Apple is following the lead of Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other Silicon Valley legends who have opened engineering offices in Seattle. But Cupertino didn't apparently pick the location at random — rather, the Seattle office is already staffed with at least five employees of the former Union Bay Networks, a cloud networking startup Apple quietly appears to have absorbed, presumably with an eye toward expansion into the state of Washington.<br /><br />Last weekend, GeekWire spotted two Apple job postings for its Seattle-based office, where "at least 30 engineers" are apparently already hard at work. “Ever wanted to work at Apple, but didn’t want to live in Cupertino?” a LinkedIn job opening post from Union Bay co-founder Benn Bollay reads. “Apple is opening up a new office here in Seattle, and they have a couple openings that might be interesting to everyone," Bollay added in an email to a Seattle tech community forum yesterday.</p><h3>RealPlayer Cloud Arrives on Mac, Celebrates First Anniversary</h3><p><a href="http://www.real.com/resources/realplayer-cloud-celebrates-its-1st-birthday/" target="_blank">RealNetworks announced Monday</a> the first anniversary of RealPlayerCloud, a video storage service <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/realplayer_cloud_review" target="_blank">we reviewed shortly after last year's launch</a> and liked quite a lot. Since launching, RealPlayer Cloud has branched out with support for 12 different devices and six platforms in 10 languages, with the most recent arrivals being none other than a native OS X application, as well as forthcoming support for Xbox One.<br /><br />To celebrate the first anniversary, RealPlayer Cloud is addressing one of its few shortcomings with the introduction of a limited-time offer of 365GB of cloud storage for only $4.99 per month — the same price the company previously charged for a mere 25GB. Free users are still limited to a meager 2GB, although the service continues to offer storage bumps for referring friends or adding new devices, but a Premium account also allows users to stream videos from a smartphone via Chromecast or Roku.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="https://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/morning_report_new_developer_betas_apple_seattle_realplayer_anniversary#commentsNewsanniversariesApple Engineersbug fixesDealsdeveloper betaiOS 8.1Morning ReportOS X YosemiteRealPlayer CloudSeattleiPadiPhoneiPodMacTue, 04 Nov 2014 13:29:15 +0000J.R. Bookwalter20885 at http://www.maclife.comWeekend Recap: Rocket Ranger, Chrome Autofill, Halos Fun, Thor's Mjolnirhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/weekend_recap_rocket_ranger_chrome_autofill_halos_fun_thors_mjolnir
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/rocket_ranger_coming_soon_620px.png" alt="Rocket Ranger" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>As the November calendar tips into the second half of the month, this past weekend found a variety of game-related news, including the iOS resurrection of a classic Amiga favorite, a first-anniversary celebration for a beloved new favorite and even the debut of a free game without in-app purchases, which is a concept we can really get behind. Read on to find out more in our weekend recap!</p><h3>Cinemaware Amiga Classic Rocket Ranger Now Available on iOS</h3><p>Commodore Amiga fans, your day has arrived! Cinemaware released the universal iOS version of the retro gaming classic <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-ranger-emulated-amiga/id737793633?mt=8" target="_blank">Rocket Ranger </a>over the weekend, bringing all of the "action, romance, thrills and spills of the Saturday morning serial" to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Rocket Ranger is a full emulated version of the Amiga version, which pits a high-flying hero against Nazis, rayguns and even zombie women, set amidst the backdrop of World War II. The entire game fits into a mere 7.2MB download priced at only $1.99, and is available now for your retro gaming pleasure.</p><h3>Autofill Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS</h3><p><a href="http://chrome.blogspot.com/2013/11/browse-faster-on-mobile-with-new.html" target="_blank">The Google Chrome Blog announced</a> late last week that Chrome for iOS will soon be empowered with the ability to autofill web forms on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, exactly the same way desktop and Android users can right now. Best of all, Chrome for iOS will sync Autofill data from any other devices you may currently use it with. Google is also working toward a faster Autofill experience for Android users which will speed up the process of mobile checkout — a feature we'll hope to also soon see on the iOS side as well.</p><h3>Halos Fun Brings Colorful Fun with No IAP</h3><p>Paramount Citrus and PikPok have teamed up to develop <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id702633019?mt=8" target="_blank">Halos Fun</a>, a new mobile game that finds three pesky raccoons stealing the halos from a graduating class of mandarin oranges. Billed as a cross between Angry Birds and Peggle, Halos Fun is kid-safe fun, and it's that rare app that's not only free, but also free of in-app purchases to potentially spoil the fun. Throughout more than 100 colorful levels, the mandarins slingshot and ping-pong their way across California's natural environments in search of their golden halos — and you can help by downloading the free game today, which is <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pikpok.wh.play" target="_blank">also available on Android</a> from the Google Play store.</p><h3>Charge Your iPhone Using Only Thor's Mighty Hammer</h3><p><a href="http://www.everythingusb.com/marvel-comics-thor-hammer-battery-pack-21908.html" target="_blank">EverythingUSB dug up</a> one of the coolest gadgets yet to charge up your mobile device: A miniature replica of Mjolnir, better known as the hammer of Marvel's mythical superhero Thor. The actual head of the hammer encases a fairly massive battery pack weighing 450g, equipped with both micro-USB and full-sized USB 2.0 charging ports capable of outputting 2.1A. And yes, when you swing the hammer, a built-in speaker actually mimics the sound effects heard in the latest Thor: The Dark World feature film. Available in three different battery capacities, there are really only two catches: The $125 price, and the fact that this sucker is only available in Asia, at least for now.</p><h3>Candy Crush Saga Celebrates First Anniversary</h3><p>Regardless of whether you love it or hate it, Candy Crush Saga has become a legitimate phenomenon, with more than 150 billion individual games played to date and one of every 23 Facebook users worldwide a fan of the game. Developer King announced Friday that Candy Crush Saga is celebrating its first anniversary, and fans can join in the festivities on the game's official Facebook and Twitter accounts by using the hashtag #candycrush1year. And did you know that 78 percent of U.S. players say they enjoy switching and matching the most while watching television? Strange but true...<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/weekend_recap_rocket_ranger_chrome_autofill_halos_fun_thors_mjolnir#commentsNewsanniversariesApp StoreCandy Crush SagaCinemawareHalos FunmarvelPikPokRocket RangerThorweekend recapiPadiPhoneiPodMon, 18 Nov 2013 13:32:34 +0000J.R. Bookwalter18641 at http://www.maclife.comHappy 30th Anniversary, Microsoft Windowshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/happy_30th_anniversary_microsoft_windows
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/microsoft_windows_1.0_splash_620px.png" alt="Microsoft Windows 1.0" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Sunday may not have felt like a particularly special day, but 30 years ago on November 10, the face of personal computing changed with the debut of Microsoft Windows -- although the verdict may still be out on whether it was for better or worse.<br /><br /><a href="http://gizmodo.com/bill-gates-unveiled-windows-30-years-ago-today-1461813702" target="_blank">Gizmodo reported Sunday</a> that November 10 marked the 30th anniversary since Bill Gates unveiled Microsoft Windows in 1983, a milestone that makes the operating system something of a dinosaur in computer years.<br /><br />While Windows may mean different things to different people today thanks to Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Phone 8 and even Xbox One, 30 years ago it was simply a graphical shell laid atop MS-DOS -- an effort to make computing more friendly and less user-hostile.<br /><br />"But Windows 1.0 had many defining OS features, like a calendar, clock, Microsoft Paint, a text editor, terminal, and clipboard," Gizmodo remarked. "Windows allowed users to view multiple program windows at once, yup, though they couldn't overlap at all. The early days of tiles! And 1.0 enabled data transfer between programs. Plus, it came with drivers for things like keyboards and the Microsoft Mouse, which had debuted earlier in 1983."<br /><br />It's certainly hard to remember just how bad Windows 1.0 was at the time, although Microsoft occasionally sends us a reminder with the release of Windows ME and Windows Vista, just to name a couple of turkeys the company has foisted upon an unsuspecting public over the last three decades.<br /><br />In any event, happy anniversary, Microsoft Windows! You'll never be Mac OS X, but apparently that's okay with the vast majority of computer users.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/happy_30th_anniversary_microsoft_windows#commentsNews30 yearsanniversariesBill GatesCEOMicrosoftMicrosoft Windowsversion 1.0windowsWindows MEWindows VistaMacMon, 11 Nov 2013 14:21:34 +0000J.R. Bookwalter18585 at http://www.maclife.comVideo: CNN Outs Atlanta Voice Actress Susan Bennett as Voice of Sirihttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_cnn_outs_atlanta_voice_actress_susan_bennett_voice_siri
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/siri_voice_susan_bennett_620px.png" alt="Siri voice Susan Bennett" width="619" height="300" /></p><p>Siri celebrates her second anniversary today, two years after first making a splashy debut with the iPhone 4S — and to celebrate, users can now get a peek at the voice actress behind the virtual assistant.<br /><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/tech/mobile/bennett-siri-iphone-voice/" target="_self"><br />CNN reported Friday</a> that Apple's virtual assistant Siri is none other than Susan Bennett, a suburban Atlanta voice actress who first recorded her performance in July 2005 — well before Apple actually purchased the technology in 2010.<br /><br />Although Apple won't verify that Bennett is indeed the voice of Siri, an audio forensics expert has independently confirmed it with 100 percent certainty, and a short video interview on the CNN website certainly seems convincing enough.<br /><br />Bennett recorded the words and phrases that became Siri from her home recording booth, working four hours a day for a month as part of a project for software maker ScanSoft, who hired Atlanta-based GM Voices to perform the actual work.<br /><br />But the actress never knew what her voice would ultimately be used for, having started her career providing spoken words for one of the first ATM machines back in the 1970s, and most recently as the voice for Delta terminals at Atlanta's Harstfield-Jackson International airport.<br /><br />So imagine her surprise after the October 4, 2011 debut of the iPhone 4S, when friends began asking Bennett if she was indeed the voice of Siri.<br /><br />"Oh, I knew," she remarked. "It's obviously me. It's my voice."<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a><br /><br />(Image courtesy of CNN)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><object id="ep_374" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="416" height="234"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_embed_2x_container.swf?site=cnn&amp;profile=desktop&amp;context=embedwww&amp;videoId=tech/2013/10/02/siri-susan-bennett-red-chair-ideas-orig-jtb.cnn&amp;contentId=tech/2013/10/02/siri-susan-bennett-red-chair-ideas-orig-jtb.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="416" height="234" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_embed_2x_container.swf?site=cnn&amp;profile=desktop&amp;context=embedwww&amp;videoId=tech/2013/10/02/siri-susan-bennett-red-chair-ideas-orig-jtb.cnn&amp;contentId=tech/2013/10/02/siri-susan-bennett-red-chair-ideas-orig-jtb.cnn" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000"></embed></object></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_cnn_outs_atlanta_voice_actress_susan_bennett_voice_siri#commentsNewsactressanniversariesApple Inc.AtlantaCNNDeltaiPhone 4SSiriSusan BennettTechnologyvirtual assistantvoiceiPadiPhoneiPodFri, 04 Oct 2013 12:20:21 +0000J.R. Bookwalter18238 at http://www.maclife.comUpdated Google Search with Cross-Platform Notifications on the Wayhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/updated_google_search_crossplatform_notifications_way
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/google_search_timeline_620px.png" alt="Google Search timeline" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Hard to believe that Google Search is only 15 years old, but the company has big plans for how it intends to spend the next decade and a half as search moves rapidly from the desktop to mobile devices.<br /><br /><a href="http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/fifteen-years-onand-were-just-getting.html" target="_blank">Google's Inside Search blog announced Thursday</a> that the company's core feature, introduced in 1998, is 15 years old this month, and is celebrating with some welcome improvements.<br /><br />First up, Google is expanding the Knowledge Graph that powers its search to make it capable of answering even more questions — or even compare two items with each other using real-world queries like "Compare butter with olive oil."<br /><br />The bigger news, however, is that Google Search will soon bring its voice-activated "OK Google" technology to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with an update to the current iOS app. This app will work in conjunction with Android to allow cross-platform push notifications for Google Now and search, no matter which device you happen to be using at the time.<br /><br />Last but not least, the mobile web version of Google Search is getting a new look and feel and, yes, ads have finally arrived on smartphones and tablets. The good news is the new look is cleaner and touch-optimized — well, cleaner with ads, we suppose.<br /><br />Stay tuned for the new Google Search for iOS update "in the next couple of weeks."<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/updated_google_search_crossplatform_notifications_way#commentsNews15 yearsanniversariesApp Storecomparisonscross-platformGooglegoogle searchOK Googlepush notificationssearchiPadiPhoneiPodFri, 27 Sep 2013 12:00:11 +0000J.R. Bookwalter18177 at http://www.maclife.comFree Top iOS Apps, Games Appear Ahead of App Store's Fifth Anniversaryhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/free_top_ios_apps_games_appear_ahead_app_stores_fifth_anniversary
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/available_on_the_app_store_620px.png" alt="Available on the App Store" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Over the weekend, a large amount of top iPhone, iPod touch and iPad apps started to go free for the first time ever, suggesting Apple may be about to celebrate the App Store's fifth anniversary in grand style.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/8/4502810/ios-apps-and-games-go-free-five-years-after-app-store-launched" target="_blank">As first noted by The Verge</a>, a number of top apps and games for iOS have suddenly been made available on the App Store for free, many for the first time ever. Although Apple has yet to announce anything, this week marks five years since the company debuted the iOS App Store, so the generous offer likely isn't a coincidence.<br /><br />Included in the free offerings are popular universal games such as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/infinity-blade-ii/id447689011?mt=8" target="_blank">Infinity Blade II</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/superbrothers-sword-sworcery/id424912055?mt=8" target="_blank">Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/wheres-my-water/id449735650?mt=8" target="_blank">Where's My Water?</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/badland/id535176909?mt=8" target="_blank">Badland</a> as well as both <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/tiny-wings/id417817520?mt=8" target="_blank">iPhone/iPod touch</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tiny-wings-hd/id541517597?mt=8" target="_blank">iPad</a> editions of Tiny Wings.<br /><br />But the deal isn't exclusive to games: Other apps like the $19.99 Traktor DJ (available for both <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/traktor-dj-for-iphone/id625335999?mt=8" target="_blank">iPhone</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/traktor-dj/id592052832?mt=8" target="_blank">iPad</a>), <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/barefoot-world-atlas/id489221652?mt=8" target="_blank">Barefoot World Atlas</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/day-one-journal-diary/id421706526?mt=8" target="_blank">Day One</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/over/id535811906?mt=8" target="_blank">Over</a> also appear to part of some pending promotion, but can be had for absolutely free right now.<br /><br />As we await official word of an App Store celebration from Apple, keep your eyes peeled for additional deals -- this week could very well prove to be a bounty for cheapskate iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners.</p><p><strong>UPDATE: </strong>The free apps and games have been <a href="http://t.co/KIu1jUMEop" target="_blank">confirmed as part of Apple's five-year anniversary celebration</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/free_top_ios_apps_games_appear_ahead_app_stores_fifth_anniversary#commentsNewsanniversariesApp Storedownload nowfree appsInfinity Blade IIios gamesTiny Wingstop appsWhere's My Water?iPadiPhoneiPodMon, 08 Jul 2013 13:22:22 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17460 at http://www.maclife.comVideo: Evernote Turns Five, Thanks Customers with User Number Emailshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_evernote_turns_five_thanks_customers_user_number_emails
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/evernote_turns_five_620px.png" alt="Evernote turns five" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Has it really been five years already? With more than 65 million users around the world, Evernote is celebrating its latest milestone with an email that shows users how long they've been enlisted.<br /><a href="http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2013/06/26/evernote-turns-five-years-old/" target="_self"><br />The Evernote Blog announced Wednesday</a> that the popular "external brain" service is now five years old, having first launched in public beta way back in June, 2008. To celebrate, the company has produced a couple of videos as well as sent longtime customers a special email.<br /><br />"Five years and tens of millions of users later, people have done more with Evernote than we could have ever dreamed," the customized email reads. "They've used our products to plan vacations, stay organized at school, run their businesses, and just about everything in between.<br /><br />"It's been an amazing journey and you've been with us almost the entire way," the email adds, which also includes a user number that reveals where each recipient stands in the grand scheme of more than 65 million possibilities. (Hey, I'm number 124,231, which is kind of cool.)<br /><br />"Whether you’ve been using Evernote for years or heard about us for the first time today, you’re here at the start of the journey," the blog post concludes. "Thanks for helping build Evernote."<br /><br />Here's to another five years and beyond -- after all, one of Evernote's "crazy goals" five years ago was to "build a hundred year startup," and they're only five percent into that goal.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IJLd8uWoZn8" width="620" height="349" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_evernote_turns_five_thanks_customers_user_number_emails#commentsNewsanniversariesApp StorecelebrationcustomersemailsEvernoteexternal brainpublic betastartupsusersYouTubeiPadiPhoneiPodMacThu, 27 Jun 2013 13:16:06 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17386 at http://www.maclife.comiTunes Store Turns 10http://www.maclife.com/article/news/itunes_store_turns_10
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/itunes_keynote_silhouette_200px.png" alt="iTunes keynote" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />While the iTunes software itself is actually a couple years older, the virtual storefront that powers the media player celebrated its 10th anniversary over the weekend -- and what a decade it's been!<br /><br /><a href="http://entertainment.time.com/2013/04/28/happy-10th-birthday-itunes/" target="_blank">TIME published a look back</a> at a decade of the iTunes Store on Sunday as Apple's media powerhouse celebrated its 10th birthday on April 28. And it wasn't alone: Music industry players and artists alike spent the day tweeting out their love for iTunes, most of which was retweeted by the store's official account.<br /><br />The iTunes software actually appeared more than two years earlier, on January 9, 2001, after Apple purchased the popular third-party SoundJam MP from Casady &amp; Greene a year earlier. While it's hard to imagine now, there was a brief period of time where iTunes was strictly about organizing and playing music -- but that all changed on April 28, 2003 with the debut of iTunes 4.0.<br /><br />With the iPod firmly entrenched for almost a year and half, Apple answered the prayers of music fans everywhere by introducing the iTunes Music Store, a playground chock full of 99-cent tracks, all untethered from the obligation of buying an entire album. By 2009, the iTunes Store celebrated its position as the largest online music store in the world with six billion tracks sold.<br /><br />Looking back, it's hard to imagine a time when iTunes didn't serve up music, let alone the TV shows, movies, books and apps yet to come. Here's to a decade of the iTunes Store -- and we look forward to seeing what's ahead in the next decade!<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/itunes_store_turns_10#commentsNewsanniversariesApple Inc.BirthdayscelebrationhistoryiTunesiTunes Music StoreiTunes StoreSoundJam MPTimeiPadiPhoneiPodMacMon, 29 Apr 2013 12:42:53 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16860 at http://www.maclife.comGoogle Relives Early Days of Home Video with YouTube VHS Modehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/google_relives_early_days_home_video_youtube_vhs_mode
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/youtube_app_icon_200px.png" alt="YouTube icon" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />You may not realize it, but there's a resurgence of a long-dead format brewing, with collectors, documentaries and now YouTube resurrecting VHS and videotape in general for the HD generation.<br /><br />Google-owned <a href="https://plus.google.com/+youtube/posts/Bwcf5eqFW4c" target="_blank">YouTube announced via Google+</a> that it's celebrating the 57th anniversary of video cassette recorders with a new "VHS mode" for select videos on the website.<br /><br />"In celebration of the 57th birthday of the first commercial video cassette recorder, check out a fun VHS mode for the YouTube player to relive the magic feel of vintage video tapes," the brief post reads. "On select videos, you'll find a VHS button in the bottom right of the player -- just click to turn back the clock and enjoy the static and fuzzy motion of the VHS era."<br /><br />While this may sound like a crazy gimmick for those of us who grew up with videotape, it's yet another sign that the VHS format could experience some kind of resurgence as a generation raised on DVD and high-definition longs for a kinder, simpler era.<br /><br />There are already at least two documentaries on the way which profile the heyday of the VHS format back in the 1980's and even the 1990's prior to DVD's debut in 1997, and a number of B-movie outlets already offer VHS versions of dubious "classic" films from the era (or modern knockoffs) alongside their DVD equivalents.</p><p>Commence with the head scratching...</p><p><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/google_relives_early_days_home_video_youtube_vhs_mode#commentsNewsanniversariescelebrationdear God whyDVDformatsGoogleGoogle PlustapeVHSvideo cassettevideotapeYouTubeMacMon, 15 Apr 2013 13:18:24 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16735 at http://www.maclife.comAdobe Celebrates 30th Anniversary This Weekhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/adobe_celebrates_30th_anniversary_week
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/adobe_co-founders_200px.png" alt="Adobe co-founders John Warnock &amp; Chuck Geschke" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Remember a time before Adobe? Depending on how old you are, you may not, especially when the company is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week -- a lifetime in the tech world.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/adobelife/2012/12/03/adobe-turns-30/" target="_blank">The Life@Adobe Blog has announced</a> the 30th anniversary of Adobe this week, a milestone that few tech companies still in business can claim. Founded by John Warnock and Chuck Geschke in December, 1982, Adobe has gone on to be a software publishing powerhouse with such household names as Photoshop and Acrobat's PDF format.<br /><br />"Creativity. Big data. Changing the world through digital experiences. That’s the Adobe we know today, and this week, we are proud to celebrate our 30th Anniversary as a company," the blog post begins.<br /><br />"As part of the celebrations, we asked our some of our employees to share stories of our incomparable co-founders, John Warnock and Chuck Geschke, and memorable moments in their Adobe career that reflect Chuck’s and John’s passion for the business, warmth and wit, and enduring impact on employees."<br /><br />Be sure to hit the blog to read all of the employee stories posted there, and kudos to Adobe for continuing to offer its fine products for all of us to enjoy three decades later.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/adobe_celebrates_30th_anniversary_week#commentsNews1982AcrobatAdobeAdobe PhotoshopanniversariesChuck GeschkeJohn WarnockmemoriesPDFsoftwareTue, 04 Dec 2012 14:02:04 +0000J.R. Bookwalter15723 at http://www.maclife.comHappy 10th Birthday, iPod! http://www.maclife.com/article/features/happy_10th_birthday_ipod
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u307916/2011/Online/ipod_1g.jpg" width="201" height="320" class="graphic-right" /></p> <p>"We have something really exciting for you today."<br /><br />The world wasn’t watching when Steve Jobs took the stage 10 years ago with "the promise of unveiling a breakthrough digital device." There was no raucous applause break when he slid what he called the iPod out of his pocket, and none of the invited attendees hooted or hollered during the flawless demo.</p><p>And yet, Steve was like a kid on Christmas morning. He could have commanded an entire expo keynote with the unveiling of Apple’s first non-Mac device in nearly a decade, but he chose the intimate Town Hall, his energy and excitement making the room feel twice as big. His enthusiasm could barely be contained as he deftly built anticipation for a gadget so small no one noticed it hiding in his jeans:<br /><br />“A thought occurred to us late last year. ... What if somebody built a device that could take advantage of knowing all about of those iApps and get a level of integration that no one’s ever achieved before?”<br /><br />He went on to talk about how consumers “trust the Apple brand to get their great digital electronics” and how the “ultra-portable” iPod is “lighter than most of the cell phones that are in your pockets.” He demonstrated “a breakthrough in user interfaces” and how “Apple’s legendary ease of use” had been applied to a consumer electronics device. He played music, told jokes, watched with pride as some 220 songs loaded in just under 2 minutes. Boom.<br /><br />The iPod was his baby, and he was giving it to us.<br /><br />Steve might have known that most everyone would be wrong about the iPod, that it would one day spawn a generation of devices smart enough to talk back to you; that iTunes would become the iTunes Music Store, with a catalog of 20 billion songs, movies, books and TV shows; that Apple would ride a string of successes to battle Exxon as the most valuable company in the world.<br /><br />What he didn’t know was how precious little time he had to do it.<br /><br />On that day there were no signs of the disease that would ravage his body and force him to relinquish large portions of future keynotes to his executive team. The very thought of Apple without Steve at its helm was ludicrous--about as ludicrous as Apple transforming the music industry with a pocket-sized mp3 player.<br /><br />But those in attendance can be forgiven for failing to see the iPod as more than a high-priced niche gadget that filled a limited need. No one in that room could have possibly grasped the enormity of what they had just seen. Except Steve.<br /><br />“I don’t think there’s another company that could do this--to bring the hardware design, the industrial design, the application software design ... everything under one roof together to be able to create a product like this. It’s pretty amazing.”<br /><br />There will surely be other breakthroughs by Apple. But none will be as unexpected and extraordinary as when we were introduced to the iPod, a portable digital music player that opened our minds and pockets to fantastic possibilities.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/features/happy_10th_birthday_ipod#commentsanniversariesAnniversaryiPodSteve JobsFeaturesiPodFri, 21 Oct 2011 15:20:47 +0000Michael Simon12667 at http://www.maclife.comThe Lifer: How the iPod Saved Applehttp://www.maclife.com/article/columns/lifer_how_ipod_saved_apple
<!--paging_filter--><h3>Ten years ago, Apple Computer made a left turn into digital music players and discovered a superhighway to success. Rik Myslewski looks back at the last decade to show…</h3><p><img src="/files/u129772/2010/06/rik_150.jpg" width="150" height="201" style="float: right;" class="graphic-right" /></p><p>Most folks say that May 6, 1998 -- the day that Steve Jobs introduced the then-revolutionary iMac to a wowed Cupertino crowd -- was the day that Apple was reborn. They’re wrong.<br /><br />The iMac did indeed pull Apple Computer out of its seemingly irreversible death spiral, but the computer maker remained a small player in a field dominated by others. The day that today’s Apple was born occurred 10 years ago this month.<br /><br />On October 23, 2001, Steve Jobs pulled a 6.5-ounce chunk of stainless steel, white plastic, and electronic goodness out of his left jeans pocket, introducing a crowd of reporters to the iPod. That moment began the transformation of Apple Computer into the company that Jobs renamed on January 9, 2007, when he told a Macworld Expo crowd, “The Mac, iPod, Apple TV, and iPhone. Only one of those is a computer. So we’re changing the name.” <br /><br />To simply Apple.<br /><br />Knowing as we do now how the original iPod and its successors went on to dominate the then-nascent market for digital music players, it’s hard to remember that the little white brick was tepidly received. At $399, it was expensive. In its first incarnation, it lacked an equalizer. Its open FireWire port was a pocket-lint magnet. Its earbuds were, to be kind, suboptimal. And in a Windows-dominated world, its Mac-only syncing was a market-limiting millstone.<br /><br />But one by one, all of those objections were overcome, and the iPod -- mini, photo, shuffle, nano, touch, classic -- went on to become wildly successful. As it did, Apple transformed itself from a computer maker into what Steve Jobs described late last year as “a very high-volume consumer-electronics manufacturer” that listed its hardware line in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as the “iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV.” Note the reordering of those offerings since Jobs’ 2007 renaming.<br /><br />That same SEC filing reported that Apple earned $5.1 billion from Mac sales between April and June of this year. Its consumer-electronics line -- the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and li’l ol’ Apple TV -- brought in $21.2 billion. Of that haul, the iPod -- now well past its prime -- earned a mere $1.3 billion.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/10/ipodliferaug11.jpg" width="421" height="480" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Rik’s original iPod: old, but still at play.</strong></p><p>It may be fading, but the iPod blazed Apple’s resurgent trail. Without its success, there may have never been an iPhone, let alone an iPad. And there may have never been the revival of the Mac, which continues month after month to far outpace the sales growth of Windows-based PCs.<br /><br />But there was one other sea change that the iPod unleashed, one that was not-too-subtly hinted at in a warning printed in English, French, German, and Japanese on the plastic wrapping of that first 5GB iPod of late 2001: “Don’t steal music.” Nice sentiment, but it didn’t work.<br /><br />When Napster appeared in June 1999, it taught the music-consuming masses that tunes could be freely, easily, and speedily passed around the internet. Individual songs were liberated from filler-filled albums -- legally or illegally, but mostly illegally -- musicians could distribute their creations without label-controlling middlemen, and millions of iPods could pump those tunes over thin white cables into uncomfortable white earbuds, feeding the auditory canals of a new generation <br />of consumers.<br /><br />In 1999, the U.S. music industry raked in $14.6 billion. By 2010, that had dropped $6.3 billion. The day that the iPod was introduced, Apple’s stock price was $9.07 per share. Today it’s hovering around $400. At the iPod’s tenth birthday, we’re celebrating. The Recording Industry Association of America? <br /><br />Not so much.</p><p>--<br /><br /><em>Since the late 1980s, Rik Myslewski has paid his rent by keeping an eye on Apple. He was editor-in-chief of&nbsp;</em>MacAddict<em>&nbsp;from 2001 until its transformation into&nbsp;</em>Mac|Life<em>&nbsp;in early 2007, and is now a member of the snarkily sophisticated team at London’s&nbsp;</em>The Register<em>, which is “biting the hand that feeds IT” daily at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.theregister.co.uk</a>.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/lifer_how_ipod_saved_apple#commentsanniversariesappleColumnsCupertinothe liferiPodTue, 09 Aug 2011 17:15:25 +0000Rik Myslewski11962 at http://www.maclife.comReport: Apple Restricting Employee Time Off In May With Approaching 10th Anniversaryhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/report_apple_restricting_employee_time_may_approaching_10th_anniversary
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220907/apple-retail_1.jpg" alt="apple-retail" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Only in the Apple world do we get excited about Apple employees not receiving any time off, because more often than not, it usually means something big is on the way.&nbsp; Tough gig, right?&nbsp; Retail employees were reportedly told to not take any time off between May 20 and 22.&nbsp; What could be on the way?&nbsp; It does so happen that Apple retail stores will be celebrating their 10th anniversary.&nbsp; Hmmm…<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/04/20/apple_restricts_employee_time_off_in_may_as_retails_10th_anniversary_approaches.html">AppleInsider</a> </em>also learned that store managers were said to be "very excited" about those dates, but no other details were readily available.<br /><br />Gary Allen with <a href="http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/"><em>ifoAppleStore.com</em></a> said that more than likely the use of the days would indeed commemorate a 10th anniversary event, celebrating Apple's brick-and-mortar stores.&nbsp; Apple may use the timeframe to "attract a crowd" for a few days, but no specifics were available.<br /><br />While new Apple products are expected in the coming future, such as a refresh of the iMac lineup, but it would seem that iMacs with Sandy Bridge processors would not be enough for Apple to prevent employees from taking any PTO.<br /><br />Given the reports of an iPhone release occurring later this year, May would certainly seem to be too soon of a release.&nbsp; By comparison, Apple had twice blacked out dates for employee time off earlier this year: the launch of the Verizon iPhone 4 and the iPad 2.<br /><br />What do you think readers?&nbsp; Feel free to speculate below on what could come about!<br /><br /><em>Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mtilmann">Matthew Tilmann on Twitter</a></em><br /><br /><em>(Image courtesy of cnet.com.au)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/report_apple_restricting_employee_time_may_approaching_10th_anniversary#commentsNewsanniversariesAnniversaryApple Retail StoresPTORetail StoresvacationTue, 26 Apr 2011 02:49:16 +0000Matthew Tilmann10762 at http://www.maclife.comDev-Team Celebrates Three Years of PwnageTool with iOS 4.3.1 Jailbreakhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/devteam_celebrates_three_years_pwnagetool_ios_431_jailbreak
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/pwnagetool_200px.jpg" alt="PwnageTool logo" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />They grow up so fast! The notorious Dev-Team has been keeping our iOS devices jailbroken and unlocked for a while now, including the latest iOS 4.3.1 untethered jailbreak unleashed to celebrate the third anniversary of their PwnageTool application.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.iphone-dev.org/" target="_blank">The Dev-Team Blog announced</a> in the wee hours of Monday morning that they have updated their jailbreak tools to tackle the latest iOS 4.3.1, which Apple pushed on March 25. While there have been tethered options floating around, the latest versions of the Dev-Team’s PwnageTool and redsn0w applications tap into a new untethered method.<br /><br />“The 4.3.1 untether exploit comes courtesy of Stefan Esser (@i0n1c on twitter), a security researcher based in Germany,” the Dev-Team Blog explains. “Stefan has a long history of vulnerability research, and ironically his first contribution to the iPhone jailbreak community was improved security -- last year he beat Apple to the punch and implemented ASLR for jailbroken iPhones with his ‘antid0te’ framework. We’re happy to see that Stefan then turned his iPhone attention over to an untethered jailbreak exploit!”<br /><br />Unfortunately, this untethered jailbreak won’t work on one key iOS device, which is the iPad 2 -- it’s strictly for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM only), iPod touch third and fourth generation and the original iPad. The Dev-Team is also warning unlockers with older basebands to stay away from this jailbreak for now, since they have to update their ultrasn0w tool to fix some compatibility issues with iOS 4.3.1, which is still in progress.<br /><br />The latest PwnageTool 4.3 arrives on the third anniversary of the popular application, which the Dev-Team notes was originally released for iPhone OS 1.1.4. Seems like an eternity ago, right?<br /><br />If you want to take the leap into an iOS 4.3.1 untethered jailbreak and you don’t need the unlock, head over to <a href="http://blog.iphone-dev.org/" target="_blank">The Dev-Team Blog</a> to download the new PwnageTool 4.3 (Mac only) or redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 (Mac or Windows), which are available now.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/devteam_celebrates_three_years_pwnagetool_ios_431_jailbreak#commentsNewsanniversariesdev teamiOS 4.3.1jailbreakjailbreakingPwnage Toolredsn0wultrasn0wuntetherediPadiPhoneiPodMon, 04 Apr 2011 12:45:13 +0000J.R. Bookwalter10542 at http://www.maclife.comHappy 25th Birthday Super Mario!http://www.maclife.com/article/news/happy_25th_birthday_super_mario
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/happy_25th_birthday_super_mario" target="_self"><img src="/files/u286882/mario380.jpg" width="380" height="392" /></a></p><p><em><a>image via Official Nintendo Magazine</a></em></p><p>While it might not be Apple-related news, the pew-pew minded folks over at our sister site <a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/wii/super-mario-bros-virtual-console/news/see-whats-inside-that-wonderful-25th-anniversary-super-mario-collection/a-20100913121942981053/g-20070404104328459010" target="_blank">Gamesradar</a> have pointed out something simply too awesome to ignore: Super Mario is 25 years old, and to celebrate <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/13_best_nintendo_ds_titles_now_available_app_store" target="_self">Nintendo</a> is gearing up to celebrate!</p><p>How hardy will the Japanese game company party? According to Gamesradar, hard enough to bust out a 25th Anniversary Edition pack of Super Mario games spanning the full quarter-century of the franchise's existence. We're sure you'll agree, that's pretty sweet. Sadly, however, we may never see it on North American shores, as the product release, first detailed by the <a href="http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=19821" target="_blank">Official Nintendo Magazine</a> is purportedly only being offered to Japanese Wii console owners.</p><p>C'mon Nintendo! North America may be the stomping grounds of you <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/nintendo_refers_apple_enemy_future" target="_self">newest enemy</a>, but surely we, your devoted game-playing public deserve a little love: throw us a bone and make this awesome gaming keepsake available over here too!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/SeamusBellamy" target="_blank">Seamus Bellamy on Twitter</a>.</em></p><p><em><br /></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/happy_25th_birthday_super_mario#commentsNewsanniversariesConsolemarionintendowiiGamesMon, 13 Sep 2010 19:44:08 +0000Seamus Bellamy8231 at http://www.maclife.com